It's the Happiest Season of All
by LightThemUp
Summary: A short little one-shot including a dismal Leo Valdez, a helpful daughter of Athena, and a little taste of Holiday cheer.


**Dear Readers,**

**I apologize to all my followers who have faithfully held out for an update or new story. Firstly, I want to formally apologize for the totally unacceptable delay that I have caused. It is both inconsiderate and rude. However, in the past few months, life has been excessively busy including a new school year, my first boyfriend, two drama productions and a mass of technical problems. **

**Secondly, I want to announce that I will most likely not be updating my Percy Jackson SYOC for a few more weeks, but be warned that might not even happen, and the story may be put up for adoption due to the workload that I currently have. However, I will do my best to make it up to you...starting with this little one-shot.**

**I hope you enjoy!**

**Author: LightThemUp**

**Rating k+**

**Summary: A short little one-shot including a dismal Leo Valdez, a helpful daughter of Athena, and a little taste of Holiday cheer. **

**Constructive Criticism is openly accepted and reviews are greatly appreciated. **

Leo Valdez was in a foul mood. Christmas was just around the bend, yet unlike the many campers, who scampered about in anticipation, Leo was melancholy and pensive. The winter season often caused him to recall memories of his deceased mother, and the annual celebrations and traditions that had occurred before her untimely death. In fact, nearly ten Christmas's ago, Esperanza Valdez had perished in an inferno. Winter, to say the least, wasn't Leo's favorite season.

In addition, Leo found himself lonelier than ever. Piper, who had always been a source of comedic relief and conversation, was now found by Jason's side, and as Leo began to notice, he was rarely invited on their expeditions. Not that it bothered Leo, however, but it simply made for a solitude ridden holiday.

On one particularly brisk morning, as a gentle sheet of snow fell across the nearly deserted camp, Leo trudged across a clearing; his nose stuck in a long sheet of paper which contained a complicated sequence explaining the functions of various mechanical parts needed for an engine. Leo didn't see her coming. His body slammed into her form sharply, and with a loud thud, the girl went sprawling into a nearby snow bank, the pieces of firewood that had been clutched in her arms, strewn across the white blanket.

Leo inwardly cursed, and hastily tucked the diagram into his tool belt. He quickly reached down and pulling the sprawled adolescent from her icy fate. Her dark hair was now partially coated in soft snow flurries, and as she drew herself to her full height, a few inches taller than Leo, he felt her distinctive blue eyes bore into his forehead accusingly.

"Sorry about that." Leo awkwardly apologized, hands stuffed into his pockets.

He could feel the girl roll her eyes. "Don't worry about it, but next time, watch where you're going."

She turned her back and began to pick up the fallen timber. Leo, realizing that he should help, rushed to her aid.

"I'm Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus." He stated, heaving the largest piece into his arms.

She glanced up. "I'm Elizabeth Jane, daughter of Athena. But call me Beth."

Warning bells went off in Leo's head. _Daughter of Athena? _His eyes must have expressed his thoughts, because Beth gave a short chuckle.

"I'm not going to gut you, Valdez."

He smirked. "Good, you had me worried there for a moment."

Beth let a small smile flicker onto her lips. Distracted, several pieces of firewood slid from her grasp. Beth bit back a curse while Leo repressed a chuckle.

"Here, let me carry those." Leo took several of the larger sections. "Where are you headed?'

Beth nodded her head towards the main campus. "The storage shed."

A clumsy silence fell upon the pair, and Leo, sensing that the span could be extended for quite some time, began to walk in the indicated direction. Beth, taking the hint, quickly followed.

As they strode in silence, Beth took in Leo's appearance. He wasn't the most attractive teenager. Leo was on the short side, with a scrawnier build, and impish features. Yet, there was something that was almost appealing about his characteristics; the way he smirked and tilted his head, perhaps. Beth quickly shook the thoughts from her head. Instead, she filled the gap with conversation.

"Where were you off to?" she questioned.

Leo jerked his head in the direction if the forest. "Bunker Nine. I'm building the Argo."

Suddenly all the pieces clicked into place. Leo was the mechanic that everyone had persistently raved about, the one who had returned recently from Canada.

"I haven't seen you around. Are you a new camper?" Leo asked.

"Yeah. I got claimed about two months ago. A good friend of mine ended up being a satyr."

Leo nodded as he kicked the shed's door open with his foot. They carefully set the wood in a corner and exchanged a glance.

"You know…" Beth started, before she could stop herself. "I know a few things about architecture and I'm pretty decent at math. I'd be willing to help you out with the ship's plans…that is, if you need any assistance."

Leo couldn't contain his smile. "I might just have to take you up on that offer Beth."

…

Within a week, Leo had indeed called upon Beth's offer, and the pair had fallen into a rhythm. Beth would complete her daily activities, and during the free hours and on the occasional late evening or early morning, Beth would slip into Bunker Nine and they would spend the hours drinking hot chocolate, blowing up engines, chatting, and occasionally dressing Leo up as a "Latino" Christmas elf. Leo had even agreed, on one occasion, to wear green tights and brilliant slippers with a bobbling bell on the tip for the pure amusement of Beth, who promptly burst out laughing and fell of her stool as Leo sang his rendition of Santa Clause is Coming to Town, quite off tune, and with some choice vulgarities strewn about. They had become rapid companions.

On one late evening, as the wall clock sung alerting the pair that it was officially three in the morning, Beth was pondering over a complicated diagram, and Leo was cursing at Buford, the walking table, who had been running from the former's grasp for the entirety of the evening.

As Leo issued a rather rude variation, Beth, without looking up, called across the room. "Leo, stop harassing the poor table, you're driving me to distraction."

"Sorry darling!" Leo called in a high pitched voice, imitating a hyperactive housewife from the sixties. Beth immediately gathered the assumption that Leo had consumed far too much eggnog for his own good.

Beth stifled her laughter, and glanced back down at the puzzling formula, turning the sheet in a 360, attempting to make sense of the floating numbers and swirling letters. She sighed dejectedly. Leo, who had, per request, left Buford alone, made his way over to the writing desk, and peered at the equation.

"Do you have any-" Beth began.

"No idea." Leo answered shortly.

Beth turned her head so rapidly that their faces came within an inch of each other. Beth blinked awkwardly as Leo swallowed hard.

An awkward silence filled the gap.

Leo cleared his throat and pulled backwards. "Right then." His footsteps faded as he disappeared into the hull of the Argo.

Beth felt her face flush. That had been close, too close for comfort.

…

It was early January before Leo and Beth came face to face in a similar manner. Beth had left for a brief time to visit her father, who lived in South Carolina, and Leo had been left alone yet again.

As Beth slid through the ajar door of the camp's Suburban, she found herself missing Leo. Hoisting the duffel bag over her shoulder, she waved in farewell to Argus, and trudged across the peak of the massive hill, laying one palm upon Thalia's pine.

As Beth strode through the camp, a surprise awaited her footsteps, for as she padded through the grey doorway of Cabin Six, Beth found herself face to face with Thalia Grace herself. In the months since Beth had last seen her, Thalia's obsidian hair had grown slightly past her shoulders, and the ends had begun to form soft waves over her shoulder blades. Her blue eyes looked strained and worried, and her jaw was set sharply.

"Thalia." Beth said, slightly stunned.

"Beth?" She responded, her voice a whisper.

"What are you doing here?"

She gestured at the big house. "I'm here for the meeting. I was hoping to find Annabeth before it began, Do you know where she is?"

Beth shook her head. "I just got back."

Thalia paused. "Well, it was nice to see you Beth." And she promptly slid from the cabin as if crafted from the shadows.

Beth couldn't form the proper words. Thalia's behavior was startlingly far from normal.

With a shake of her head, Beth dropped the bag onto her bunk, replaced a few items in their appropriate places, ran a brush through her hair, and stepped back out into the blustery chill.

Figuring that Leo was most likely with the other senior counselors, Beth decided to proceed to Bunker Nine, and wait for him to arrive. She trudged through the slight snow drifts, and calmly placed her hand on the iron surface. It sung ajar with ease.

Leo was waiting for her, his eyes filled to the brim with tears, holding a faded picture.

"Leo?"

Leo jumped so far that his knee's slammed into the table. Hastily, he wiped his eyes. "Beth! I didn't think you were coming back till tomorrow."

"I took an earlier flight. Are you ok?"

Leo once again wiped away the offensive moisture building in his tear ducts. "Yah, just perfec-"

Beth fixed him with a stare.

"Fine, no, I'm not." When Beth prompted his with a roll of her eyes, Leo sighed. " My mom died today, ten years ago."

Beth felt her body grow warm. "Oh Leo…I didn't know. I'm so sorry." She found herself standing beside the stool with a hand on his shoulder.

He sniffed. "I know. It's just hard. She was my best friend."

He turned to look at her, and their faces were once again within an inch of each other's.

"Hi." Beth practically squeaked.

"Hi." Leo grinned.

And their lips met.

It lasted for only a second, but as he pulled away, the pair stared at each other for several moments before bursting into laughter, grinning.

Whatever had just occurred, it was the start of something monumental.

_**Fin**_


End file.
